Monday, August 23, 2010

Summer Weather is Here FINALLY!

All I need is a good night's sleep and beautiful weather to feel on top of the world these days-life's simple pleasures never felt so good. The weekend was fabulous. The weather started to warm up and I got to see one of my close friends Alana and her husband Matt who were in town (his band was playing a gig at the Independent on Saturday night). We had an awesome time catching up with them in Japan Town over a bowl of soup and Vanessa made me so proud, no fuss and no crankiness all weekend. She let mom and dad socialize, took her day naps like a good little baby and even slept for 5-6 hour stretches at night. Her bedtime routine is now starting at 7 p.m. and she can then sleep straight for 6 hours till she wakes up to be fed at 1 a.m. She then goes back to sleep till 4 a.m, eats then sleeps again and finally wakes up for the day by 7 a.m. I am learning to sleep when she sleeps-well not the entire time-usually somewhere between 9 and 4, I get about five hours of sleep and then another two to three hours in the morning if I'm so lucky. I hadn't realized how sleep deprived I was until I noticed feeling so much happier when I got 6 1/2 to 8 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. Now I have the energy go on two hour power walks all around Pac Heights, the Marina and Russian Hill. I am running errands and getting much more accomplished than I thought I could with a one and a half month old baby. With the last couple of days' good weather and the selection of new music in my iPod, life seems full of new possibilities!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

New Priorities

Today marks exactly 1 month and 18 days since the birth of my beautiful sweet daughter Vanessa Skye and life has been nothing short of the most challenging and exciting moments since. Vanessa is definitely my proudest accomplishment in life. It’s not the kind of achievement I can compare to finishing my MBA with honors while working full-time, landing the perfect job at a great company or buying my first home and second home. It is a different kind of happiness that has completely redefined my priorities. I love watching her sleep peacefully for hours, listening intently at the cute and eager sounds she makes when she is feeding, and noticing little changes and progress in her development day to day. My life has done a complete 180 and I'm enjoying the ride. Just in the last year alone I went from working in a corporate setting, to getting married, starting a business plan, and having a baby in a span of 14 months. Now, I am seriously considering renting out the condo in SF and moving to a quieter suburban neighborhood. Those who've known me well during the last 10 years are certainly aware that having a social life has been a close second priority in my life after focusing on work. Though I've lived in bay area since age 16 (with the exception of a few years away during college), I moved to the heart of the city 6 years ago to be closer to all the entertainment options such as the best restaurants and lounges, ballet and opera and all the great neighborhood to hike and shop at. But having a baby definitely impacts having a social life. Not only is there no time for entertainment these days, there is not even enough down time for me or couple time for me and my husband anymore. I maximize every minute of my free time while Vanessa naps doing the necessary chores such as pumping, washing and sterilizing bottles, catching up on mail, bills and thank you cards, making lists, doing laundry and cleaning because when Vanessa is awake, it might be possible to start tasks but impossible to finish most of them. Of course, my husband and I are still in the first two months of parenthood when we're quite sleep deprived and adapting like newbies to the high demands of a newborn. I hear things will get much easier before they get crazy again when babies start to walk. For now, life is all about prioritizing what matters most and that's Vanessa's needs. One of my action items these days is hiring a great house cleaner. I've been bribing the best cleaning lady I know with designer clothes for her and her teenage daughter in addition to offering her more cash than other customers just to squeeze me in her busy schedule but even my bribes aren't working anymore since her schedule is booked solid with her long-time clients. I should have scheduled her twice a month when she had client openings but at the time, I didn't know I would need that kind of deep cleaning on a regular basis. On a positive note, Vanessa slept for a 5 hour long stretch and I got a total of 6 1/2 hours of sleep last night-the longest amount of sleep I've had in 2 months. I am also learning these days how to multitask much better. I put Vanessa in her favorite stroller and take her on exloratory walks while I take care of my banking, grocery shopping and getting exercise all in a block of an hour and a half time. On weekends, I pack up and head to San Mateo where my parents live so they get to spend time with their only grandchild and I get to nap, veg out, watch TV, enjoy sunshine in their backyard or just simply relax, something I don't do often. For now, life is as hectic and exciting as can be. I spend majority of my mornings in the nursery, feeding and playing with Vanessa, reading her books, changing her, and organizing her toys and closet. I make lists of the things I need to do such as researching homes and tenants, ordering fabrics for the baby book and at times, I write, whether it's simply just thank you notes, blogging or bits of content for an online course I'm creating. Ask me tomorrow and my list might just be growing longer without anything scratched off it but today I feel productive and stress-free. My baby turned 7 weeks old today and I had 6 1/2 hours of sleep last night. Now, that's something to smile about:)